The Evolution of the Luria—Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery

Abstract

The Luria—Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery (LNNB) (Golden, Punsch, & Hammeke, 1985) is a standardized neuropsychological instrument that provides a broadscale evaluation of sensorimotor, linguistic, academic, memorial, and conceptual reasoning ability domains. Since the first published description of the LNNB appeared in 1978 (Golden, Hammeke & Punsch, 1978), there has been continuing, intense interest in its applicability and limitations across a wide variety of neuropsychiatric clinical settings and patient samples. The LNNB has been the subject of extensive and intensive psychometric scrutiny and critical discussion since its public appearance. Such intense investigation of a new instrument has been rare in the field of psychological assessment in recent years, but it is reminiscent of reactions to the original appearance of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). The MMPI provided an alternative actuarial model for assessment of personality and mental status characteristics that stood in contrast to the subjectively interpreted Rorschach, which was the prevailing mental status diagnostic technique at that time.

Mapou, R. L. (1988). Testing to detect brain damage: An alternative to what may no longer be useful. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 10, 271–278.PubMedGoogle Scholar

McCue, M., Goldstein, G., Shelly, C. (1989). The application of a short form of the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery to discrimination between dementia and depression in the elderly. International Journal of Clinical Neuropsychology, XI, 21–29.Google Scholar

Moses, J. A., Jr., Chiu, M. L. (1993, October). Nonequivalence of Forms I and II of the Luria—Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery for Adults. Paper presented at the meeting of the National Academy of Neuropsychology, Phoenix, Arizona.Google Scholar